1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of producing retort food comprising broiled fish and, more particularly, to a method of producing retort food which effectively limits the generation of drips from broiled fish at the time of retort sterilization processing.
2. Prior Art
So far, retort food consisting of "broiled fish" has been proposed. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 54-37214 discloses that a cut eel is broiled and then dried until the surface of the eel hardens in order to be vaccum-packaged, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 57-33010 discloses that a meat or fish is charged in a bag and thereafter the air in the bag is replaced by a carbon dioxide gas or a mixture of carbon dioxide and gas to subject it to sterilization processing. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication (KOKAI) No. 59-166061 discloses that a dried fish is immersed in a seasoning solution, broiled an vacumm-packaged, and Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 55-150879 also discloses that a flatfish is immersed in a seasoning solution, slightly dried, and vaccum-packaged to subject it to high pressure (1.5-2 atoms)--heat (110.degree.-120.degree. C.) treatment.
However, if broiled fish is enclosed in a packing container in a sealing manner and undergoes retort sterilization processing, water separation occurs in the broiled fish during retort sterilization so that juice (referred to as "drips" hereinafter) is released in the broiled fish. These drips are held between the fish body and the inside surface of a container, resulting in great deterioration of the dry texture and taste which are required of broiled fish. In particular, the drips flow out and the oils present in the drips adhere to and solidify on the surface of the fish during cooling, resulting in great deterioration of the appearance, if the container is transparent.